Save the Scenic Santa Ritas

Fighting to protect the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains from the devastating impacts of mining.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Board of Directors and Staff
    • Endorsements
    • Opposition and Resolutions
    • Volunteers and Friends
  • Background
    • Rosemont Mine
      • History
      • Impacts
        • Air Quality
        • Land Use
        • Wildlife and Habitat
        • Scenic Views
        • Heritage
        • Recreation
        • Economy
        • Water and Hydrology
    • Legislation
    • Copper
    • Patagonia Area Mines
  • In the News
  • Action
    • What Can I Do?
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Join Mailing List
    • Endorse Us
    • SSSR Presentation
    • Show Your Support
    • Letter Writing
  • Events
    • Past Events
  • Resources
    • Visual Media
    • Links
    • Documents and Reports
    • 1872 Mining Law
    • Inspiration
  • Projects
    • Lens on the Land
      • Biodiversity
      • Culture
      • Economy: Industry, Tourism & Recreation
      • The Land
      • Night Sky and Astronomy
      • Water Resources
    • Rosemont Mine Truth
  • Newsletter

VIDEO “AMERICA’S WESTERN SOUNDSTAGE” IN PERIL

September 15, 2013 By santaritas Leave a Comment

Proposed Rosemont Copper mine threatens Southern Arizona’s historic filming locations


(TUCSON, ARIZONA)– Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, a coalition of southern Arizona farmers, ranchers, residents and business owners, today released a six-minute film chronicling the threats from the proposed Rosemont Copper mine to some of America’s most cherished western filming locations. The 6-minute film can be viewed on YouTube by clicking here.

Southern Arizona filmmaker Frances Causey who produced the short film arguably calls Arizona “America’s western soundstage” as the film cites an envious legacy of western filmmaking in the state that boasts numerous theatrical and television credits. Southern Arizona, particularly the Rosemont and Empire Valleys- where the Rosemont Copper would be built- have hosted such films as Oklahoma!, Red River, and 310: to Yuma, among many others. Both Gunsmoke and Bonanza were also shot in southern Arizona.

But future filmmaking in a large part of the area is threatened by the Rosemont Copper Company’s proposal to blast a mile-wide, half-mile deep open pit copper mine in southern Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains. The company also plans to bury more than four square miles of the Coronado National Forest under 700 feet of toxic mining waste laced with mercury, arsenic, lead and other poisons.

Tim Flood, a Tucson-based location manager who has worked on several big budget Hollywood film productions shot in southern Arizona, believes that mining and filming are fundamentally incompatible. Flood says that mining will “pose a real threat, even the ability to film in that area anymore.”

Tucson Film Commissioner Shelli Hall, who appears in the film, says film productions featuring Arizona’s beautiful and rugged landscape and unique locations have for many years effectively showcased Arizona to global audiences. Hall explains that the Tucson Film Office, which markets Arizona to film producers, is a key part of the $2.5 billion dollar tourism industry in southern Arizona. According to Hall, “films add to the lure that brings visitors here. People from around the world have a vision from the TV shows and films and they want to experience that.”

Hall says that filming in Arizona has brought hundreds of millions of dollars over the years to southern Arizona in the form of jobs for people behind the camera, jobs for talent and extras in front of the camera, location fees and hotel room nights.

The film features native Arizonan Lisa Sharp whose family owned the historic San Rafael Cattle Ranch where several western films were shot during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Sharp happily recalls working with film crews as a child and the excitement that the productions brought to her family’s ranch. Sharp says, “I mean everything was exciting as a kid, you know? And you’d see these guys get thrown off their horses and the fences would break and you’d wonder ‘oh my god’ and as soon as the word cut happened, then everybody would get up. The guys would go repair the fences again and start all over again. I mean it was great!”

Tim Flood, the location manager, summed it up by noting that usually mines are only used in apocalyptic scenes and, he said, “We don’t need another apocalypse in southern Arizona so we have plenty of open pit mines and there are multiple places where copper is readily available without having to devastate a pristine area like the Rosemont Valley and Empire Valley.”

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas is a non-profit, community organization of ranchers, residents and businesses working to protect the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains from environmental degradation caused by mining and mineral exploration activities.

Filed Under: News, SSSR News, Visual Media

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • THE HOT TOPIC: WATER OR LACK THEREOF January 24, 2023
  • Hudbay ramps up excavation for Copper World Complex as local resistance continues and expands January 7, 2023
  • Meet The Man Who Shoots At Birds All Day To Keep Them Off A Toxic Pit | World Wide Waste (video) January 5, 2023
  • Lithium America Mine Project Hampered After Judge Schedules Hearing on Nevada Mine January 5, 2023
  • Thousands Will Live Here One Day (as Long as They Can Find Water) January 5, 2023
  • Latest Updates About Local Water Issues and Rosemont / Copper World Mine Complex January 5, 2023
  • Hudbay, Forest Service won’t appeal ruling blocking Rosemont Mine December 19, 2022
  • Letter: Proposed New Mines in Santa Ritas November 28, 2022
  • Wells are running dry in drought-weary Southwest as foreign-owned farms guzzle water to feed cattle overseas November 28, 2022
  • Annual pulses of copper-enriched sediment in a North American river downstream of a large lake following the catastrophic failure of a mine tailings storage facility November 28, 2022

Newsletter Sign-up

Sign up to receive important updates straight to your inbox! We will guard your privacy and will not provide your email to anyone else.

Rosemont/ Copper World Mine Complex News

THE HOT TOPIC: WATER OR LACK THEREOF

Hudbay ramps up excavation for Copper World Complex as local resistance continues and expands

Meet The Man Who Shoots At Birds All Day To Keep Them Off A Toxic Pit | World Wide Waste (video)

Lithium America Mine Project Hampered After Judge Schedules Hearing on Nevada Mine

More Posts from this Category

Copper World Flyover January 6, 2023 by David Steele

Another shocking sight of the incredible destruction happening on our beautiful Santa Ritas.WATCH VIDEO NOW

Russ McSpadden’s recent fly-over showing mine activity

In Nov 2022 Russ captured recent bulldozing in the Santa Rita Mountains. His video starts over the Rosemont mine project on the east side and then swings over the Copper World project on the west side. WATCH VIDEO NOW

Explore the proposed Rosemont and Copper World projects virtually

Check out Pima County’s updated map of the proposed mine site. Click on any spot on the map for ownership/status information. Mapping details are based on Hudbay’s PEA dated May 1.

Proposed Rosemont/ Copper World Mine Complex

Image compilation of the area

LENS ON THE LAND

October 2022 Powerpoint Presentation

Click here to download (PDF)

Litigation Update

There have been two recent judicial rulings on the Rosemont Copper Company projects — one favorable and one unfavorable.

Click here to learn more

The latest on Hudbay’s Copper World project in the Santa Rita Mountains

Click here to download (PDF)

Where is the Rosemont/Copper World Mine Complex?

Click here for directions

HELP US PROTECT THE SANTA RITAS

DONATE

Copyright © 2023 · Save the Scenic Santa Ritas